Time Warner Cable receiving cease and desist orders for its iPad App?

According to Business Insider, TV networks are very unhappy with the Time Warner iPad App TW Cable TV. TW Cable TV can stream 32 channels of live television to your iPad as long as you have a cable TV subscription and internet service from Time Warner; you are even restricted to WiFi only.

The problem is television networks say that streaming video over to a tablet is totally different than providing content for cable televisions. This means they should own the rights to the content and get a fee for providing the content for the streaming iPad programs.

Until these problems can be worked out, TV networks are sending out "cease and desist" letters to Time Warner Cable requesting that their channels be pulled from the app straight away.

Do any of our readers use the TW Cable TV app? Let us know if you see any channels disappearing from your app!

that's NOT networks objection. They want to be paid for internet rights. If people paid them they wouldn't care. When you make a tv show you have the right to distribute it or license distribution for a fee. They just want their fee. it has nothing to do with you not wanting people to not be mobile.

They broadcast "free" over the air. They get paid by us having to sit through their commercials. What difference does it make how their commercials reach us? They're just greedy bean counters trying to maximize their profits.

What a bunch of manure. You can't even use this thing outside of the home you're already paying fees for in. This is one of those RARE times that I'm on TW's side...this is a great service for TW customers to use INSIDE THEIR HOME. Its like another tv. These programming companies need to wake up and realize that it's the 21st century and this app is going to be the least of their issues if they don't start trying to understand the viewing habits of their "customers". Stay strong Time Warner.

This is a really good app! I use it when my wife is watching one of her 466754336 ghost shows! The picture is perfect! I was wondering why Time Warner made the app so that it only works at your house but I guess that they may have been trying to find a way to keep the networks from throwing fits. Guess it wasn't enough though. But there really is no reason other than greed that would make them behave this way. I'm watching the shows in the home where I pay to be able to see them. This will end up like tethering. Pay me twice to use that the way that you really want to use it! I can't help but cry foul on this play!

I've always cursed the cable industry for slowing down the move to IPTV, but it's become very clear that the networks themselves have no problem screwing things up.
This may be have something to do with Hulu+ too. Currently you can get some of your content on the iPad, but it costs you $7.99 a month (still including ads) to do it. They may be trying to milk that.

Were the cease and desist letters sent to TimeWarner chiseled on stone tablets and delivered via dinosaur? Do the TV excecs not like having their picture taken for fear it will steal their soul? And I'm sure they are still mystified how they put a piece of bread in a toaster- and it comes out as a piece of toast!
Just like the music and movie industry, TV is becoming a relic in it's mindset. How about they join the rest of us the year 2011? It's a wnderious time!

Perfect... I was hoping this would come to FiOS soon. I guess not if the networks are already giving TW a hard time. Since this streaming service can only be accessed in your own home over WiFi, then WTH is the different betweeen watching the video content (that we are already paying too much for) on an iPad vs. another tv??? This is getting ridiculous. It's time for the FCC to earn it's keep and step up.

wow, the only reason to even somewhat think about signing up for Time Warner service, already getting shut down.
let's see...free ipad app with free access to some of the channels offered by the company you already (over)pay money to every month? win for the customer. restricting that access so each individual network can charge you to watch content you already pay for just because you want to watch from a tablet....inside your own home? no thanks. not ever....

I don't see the big deal with the content providers asking for money to stream it on a mobile platform, but I am not sure what the cost should be. Maybe you can ask for an extra 4 bucks a month for unlimited iPad access.

Another case of networks trying to make even more money then they already do and make the "common folk" pay them more if they want features like this.
Maybe they should work on making good quality shows instead of worrying how and where people watch their garbage.

Since
1) AT&T has specifically disabled its viewing functions on the iPad (which work on the iPhone)
2) The networks have not gone after the Slingplayer/Dish network app, where the user streams from their home box to themselves
I am guessing there is (or at least the networks believe there is) something specific in Cableco contracts as retransmitters that would prohibit this and/or require them to spend some extra per-head fee. (Not saying I agree, of course)

I think the difference between something like a Slingbox and the TWCable app is that A slingbox isn't something created or provided by TWCable. Plus, the slingbox is content-agnostic, while TWCable has hand-picked 32 channels to send over the app.
I hope the networks can work this out, because I think delivering content to more devices is a good thing.

That is the difference, I suppose. When a major pay-TV provider tries to put out a value-add service like this for free then the content providers are going to go nuts. That's why I love my Sling Adapter and being a customer/employee with DISH Network. It's just me enjoying the same content I pay for - and DISH only supplies it to my receiver. I supply it to my phone/iPad/laptop (whichever I'm using) on the go. Plus, why would I want to be limited to watching only a few select channels when I have my entire programming package at my disposal?

They took their business model straight from ATT. Charge you as many times as they can for the same content. I agree 100% with the comment about this being nothing more than another TV. You can have 10 TV's in your home, no extra charge, but want to watch that TV program on your mobile device?? We'll need another $20 for that.

This app is worthless. I have a subscription to Time Warner here in Hawaii and you can't use it here. So I could care less if it gets taken down. But more importantly why would the networks care? If they are streaming with your subscription don't you get the ads the networks show?

Currently I hav e 30 channels which I had before. I hope to see more come than less. Though the iPad is not my choice for watching tv when I'm at home, I like having it available, as I have used it in the garage while working on some RC helicopters that I have for a hobby. Also to watch tv in the bathroom and have the iPad sitting on the counter while I relax in the tub is also nice.
I would hate to see this go, but there are other options such as sling box that u can take your TV channels with you... So... What the hell is the big deal !!! Is what time Warner doing something worse?
Moving on..... Nothing to see here.

Digital streaming rights have to be purchased and they are different then television broadcast rights. So Time Warner probably did not pay for streaming rights.
Same thing happens with all tv. example: the world cup or super bowl rights. You have to buy rights to show tv North america in english, tv in north america in spanish, streaming in NA in english, streaming in na in spanish, etc for south america. You have to pay for radio rights by language too in a given region.
It's been like that for years. People just don't want to pay for anything.

Concept for the networks...broadcast your own content straight to iPads, iPhones and the like. Then, you get all the money for the subscription, not just a fee from broadcasters / cable cos.
NCAA is able to stream all March Madness games. MLB.tv streams all games. ALL TV, live and otherwise, should be available online, anytime, from anywhere, on any device to paid subscribers. That's the future we are on the doorstep of. Get with it or you can be sure people will find a way around your obstacles and you won't get a dime!
Consumers don't really mind paying for great content, so long as they can choose that content, not feel like they are paying more than once for it, and enjoy it where, when and how they please.